Steam-air pants topper



Jan. 14, 1969 H, v. HOISVE ETAL 3,421,668

STEAM-AIR PANTS TOPPER Filed Sept. 25, 1967 FIGZ H 7 7 v VACUUM I 76 57 56 so 3 2 58 l m -:i

55525350 5446 FIGIS I 59 I04 I08 INVENTORS- NICHOLAS L.STRIKE HAROLD V HOISVE ATTORNEY United States Patent Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A steam-air pants topper having an air inflatable garment biasing positively collapsed after use by vacuum to remove the :bag from interference with either a pressed garment already on the topper or an upper unpressed garment about to be placed on the topper.

In steam-air pants toppers used to press the upper portion of pants or other garments, a hot form called a buck projects downwardly and receives the upper portion of the garment. To provide that the same buck can accommodate varying size garments an inflatable slightly porous bag overlies the buck, and is inflated with air to expand within the garment and draw it tightly against the front of the buck. Moisture from live steam ejected from the buck, the heat of the buck, and pressure caused by the inflated bag eliminate the wrinkles in the garment. After the garment is. pressed, the bag is vented and the garment is removed from the buck. However, the bag tends to remain inflated at least partially and it has been difficult to both remove the pressed garment from the buck and to position another unpressed garment about the buck incident to pressing this garment.

Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide a steam-air pants topper having means suit-able to both inflate the garment biasing bag within the garment and subsequently to collapse the bag by vacuum tightly and almost instantaneously about the buck.

A more detailed object of this invention is to provide in a steam-air pants topper a vacuum source and means to connect this source to the 'bag operable to evacuate and collapse the bag, an air bafile operable when closed to isolate the bag only to the vacuum source, and a control for operating them.

These and other objects will be more fully understood and appreciated after reviewing the following specification, including the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a typical steam-air pants topper for which the subject invention forms an improvement;

FIG. 2 is, an enlarged section taken through the longitudinal center of the topper of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a control circuit suitable for maintaining proper operation of the subject improvement as applied to the topper shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The topper includes basically a male form or buck 12 which is small enough to fit within the garment or pants to be pressed. The buck 12 depends from an appropriate' frame 14 which houses also a blower 16 and defines an air channel 18 from the blower through conduit 19 to the buck 12. A heat exchanger 20 heated by steam or the like is located within the air channel operable to heat the air passing from the blower 16 to the buck 12. Typically, the buck 12 includes a metal wall 22 perforated with small openings 24 to permit steam discharge through the buck from nozzle 26 located rearwardly adjacent the metal wall 22. The nozzle 26 is connected by appropriate steam line 28 to a suitable source of steam (not shown). Also, steam line 30 is generally located rearwardly adjacent the metal wall 22 operable to maintain steam or air delivered to the buck suitably hot to effect good pressing. A porous pad 34 typically covers the front of the Wall 22.

An inflatable bag 38 is secured at its upper open end 39 (typically by a pull cord, not shown) to the frame 14 in generally air tight surrounding relationship to the buck 12. The bag communicates through conduit 19 with the air channel 18. The bag is of conventional shape and porous construction and includes the upper open section 39 which receives the buck and is sealed to the frame at this location and an upper closed section 40 which is secured at its rear edge to stretching mechanism 44 mounted on the underside of frame 14. The mechanism 44 is employed to initially expand the bag and the overlying garment until the garment is pulled tight at least at the top against the buck. The mechanism 44 has a bracket 46 guided within track 48 in a generally horizontal direction relative to the frame 14, and a power cylinder 50 connected through rod 51 for moving the bracket.

The power cylinder 50 includes piston 52 within a tubular element or cylinder 53 that defines opposing chambers 54 and 55. The piston areas within the two chambers 54 and 55 are different (because of rod 51 connected to bracket 46), so even if air under similar pressure were in both, the piston would have a tendency to move toward the right (as seen in FIG. 3 against the smaller area chamber) to move the bracket 46 next to the buck 12. In this retracted position of the bracket 46, the garment is dressed on the buck. On the other hand, when the larger chamber 55 is vented, the continuous pressure acting on the piston from chamber 54 moves the piston and the attached bracket 46 to the left as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 to draw the top of the garment taut against the buck 12. Air inlet line 56 to the chamber 54 is regulated by a adjustable pressure regulator 57 to apply the proper drawing force against the garment depending on its weight and strength. Chamber 55 is connected by line 58 through T 59 and line 61 to valve 60.

Preferably, valve is of a three-way type which operates with the movable valve member (not shown) in one position to connect high pressure air line 63 and line .61, and to block the exhaust port 65, whereas in the other position the input line 63 is blocked and the exhaust port 65 and line 61 are connected to vent the line. The valve 60 is controlled by a foot pedal 68 wh h is pivoted to the lower port of the finisher 10.

Ordinarily, the operator would depress the foot pedal 68 to open valve 66 and move the stretch bracket 46 to the buck load and unload condition, and dress the garment on the buck. Upon releasing the foot pedal, the chamber 55 is vented and the garment is expanded by the mechanism 44 against the buck. Blower 16 is then actuated to force air into the bag to inflate it and force the garment tightly against the buck 12 in full contact with the buck. The steam nozzle is opened to moisten the garment as required. The combination of the heat of the buck, pressure from the inflated bag, and moisture from the steam nozzle 26 suitably eliminates the wrinkles from the garment. After the garment is pressed, the foot pedal is actuated and the bag vents, and the garment is removed from the buck. In previous toppers of this type, the expanded bag collapsed quite slowly even after being vented, and it was difficult to remove the pressed garment from the buck and to dress an unpressed garment on the buck.

This invention provides the use of a vacuum source that can be connected to the bag 38 to evacuate and collapse the bag tightly and almost simultaneously about the buck. This arrangement includes a flexible hose 72 connected to a vacuum source that communicates through valve 76,

air channel 18, and conduit 19 to the interior of the bag 38. The valve 76 is controlled by power cylinder 78 and includes closure member 80 that engages valve seat 82 when closed to block the line 72, and which can be moved clear of the seat when open to permit air passage through the line. The power cylinder 76 includes piston 84 connected by rod 86 to the closure member 88, the piston operating within the cylinder under the influence of spring 88 which tends to close the valve and under the influence of air under pressure within chamber 90 of such force to overcome the spring 88 to open the valve. The chamber is connected by line 91 to T 59 and thus is operated simultaneously with the operation of the mechanism power cylinder 50.

Also, since the air passage 18 to the bag is through the blower 16, provision should be made to block the blower from the bag to prevent air from merely passing through the blower to line 72 when it is desired to evacuate the bag. To accomplish this, a damper mechanism is used including plate 96 mounted on pin 98 to pivot Within the air passage to a closed position (shown in phantom in FIGS. 2 and 3) to isolate the bag from the blower 16 and to pivot to the shown open position which permits free transfer of air between the blower and the bag. The damper 96 is operated by a suitable power cylinder 100 which includes piston 104 connected through rod 106 to the plate. The spring 108 between the cylinder wall and the piston tends to maintain the damper open. The chamber 110 defined within the cylinder is connected by line 112 to the T 59, and therefore operates by depression by the foot pedal 68 simultaneously with the stretcher mechanism 44 and the vacuum valve 76.

A typical pressing cycle would provide that the operator depress the foot pedal 68 to open valve 60 and thereby emit air under pressure to the various control cylinders 50, 76 and 100, which shifts the stretcher bracket 46 adjacent the buck to permit a garment to be dressed on the buck, which closes the damper 96 to isolate the bag from the blower, and which connects the bag to the source of vacuum. This collapses the bag tightly about the buck to permit the operator to dress the unpressed garment on the buck. Upon releasing the foot pedal 68, the various cylinders are vented. This draws the garment overlying the bracket 46 tightly against the buck While further closes the vacuum valve 76 and opens the damper 96. Thereafter, blower 16 can be actuated to force air to the bag to inflate it and thereby drawing the garment tightly against the front face of the buck. After the garment is properly pressed, the blower operation is terminated and the foot pedal is depressed to evacuate and collapse the bag and return the stretcher bracket to the unloading condition of the buck to permit the ready removal of the pressed garment and the subsequent dressing of an unpressed garment.

While only a single embodiment has been disclosed, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the real inventive concept. Therefore, it is intended that the invention be limited only to the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a steam-air pants topper having a heated buck,

fit

a bag secured in air-tight relationship about the buck, and a source of air under pressure connectable to the bag for expanding it within a garment placed over the bag and buck to draw the garment tightly across the front of the buck, the improvement comprising the combination of a bag support mechanism located to move toward and away from the buck operable to draw against and pull the garment placed on the buck tightly against the buck, a source of vacuum, means including a valve for connecting the source of vacuum to the bag, means to open the valve operable to vent and collapse the bag about the buck to permit the ready removal of the pressed garment and the easy dressing of another unpressed garment on the buck, and means actuating the bag support mechanism to move it toward the buck simultaneously with said valve being opened.

2. A topper according to claim 1, further including a damper located between the bag and said source of air operable when closed to isolate the bag from the source of air, and means to close the damper generally when the valve is opened.

3. A topper according to claim 2, further including means operating said damper and said valve simultaneously.

4. A topper according to claim 2, further including a power cylinder means for operating the valve and the damper, and a single manually actuated valve for simultaneously regulating air flow to the power cylinder means for simultaneous actuation of the valve and damper.

5. A steam-air pants topper comprising a buck, a bag surrounding the buck in relatively air-tight relation thereto, a bracket attached to the bag, means to move the bracket to a first position adjacent the buck whereat a garment can be dressed on or removed from the buck and to a second position spaced further from the buck whereat the garment on the buck is drawn against the buck, a source of air under pressure, means including a passage to connect the source of air to the bag when said bracket is in the second position to inflate the bag within the garment and thereby more completely draw the garment tightly against the buck, means including a damper for closing the passage to separate the source of air and the bag, a source of vacuum, means including a valve for connecting the source of vacuum to the bag, and means to operate the bracket, damper and valve simultaneously to move the bracket to the first position, to close the passage, and to connect the bag to the source of vacuum, operable to collapse the bag tightly and almost instanteously about the buck to permit the ready removal of the pressed garment from the buck and/or the ready dressing of an unpressed garment on the buck.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,948,446 8/1960 Jackson 223- 3,115,285 12/1963 Hitz 22373 3,220,622 11/ 1965 Neckel 22373 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner, 

